Medicament containers such as syringes or ampoules usually comprise a hollow cylinder made of a pharmaceutical glass which is inert and chemically resistant against the drug stored inside, e.g. insulin. The container is sealed by a stopper or bung at one end of the cylinder which can be moved along the longitudinal axis of the cylinder in order to displace the drug and force it out of an outlet end which may be sealed by a piercable membrane. The stopper and the piercable membrane are conventionally made of an elastomere ensuring mechanical tightness under defined pressure conditions and long term germ impermeability. Other important parameters affecting the dimensioning and choice of materials of the stopper and the piercable membrane are the maximum force expected at the stopper and the number of allowable piercings of the piercable membrane.
Before filling in the drug and sealing the container, the quality of the inner surface of the cylinder is improved by siliconization, so static and dynamic frictions of the stopper are reduced. Furthermore siliconization improves the dosing accuracy and reduces the risk of glass particles being unhinged from the inner surface during long term storage.
DE 102 26 643 A1 discloses a stopper for an injection arrangement, the stopper comprising a stopper body, a stopper body support attached to a drive member of the injection arrangement and a sealing member for sealing a product container of the injection arrangement against the stopper body, wherein a membrane body is arranged in a cap-like manner at a proximal end of the stopper body wherein the sealing member is part of the membrane body. A sensor is provided for measuring a pressure exerted by the product on the proximal end of the membrane body. The sensor may be a pressure sensor.
US 2003/0125670 A1 discloses a medicament cartridge comprising a cylinder and a displaceable plunger. The cartridge is provided with an electrical element having specified electrical properties located on an external face of the plunger. The electrical element can take the form of a conductive disk or two conductive rings joined by a resistive pad. The device may be equipped with electrical contacts for contacting the electrical element.
WO 01/56635 discloses a container for a substance, which container comprises a coupling element for coupling the container with an administration unit for the substance, and a recognition element associated with the substance. The recognition element may be a bar code printed on a package, a chip card enclosed in the package or a magnetic card.
EP 1911479 A1 discloses a drug delivery device with magnetic connection between piston and piston rod. The device has a retaining volume for a product, and a piston movable in the retaining volume and/or relative to the retaining volume for discharging the product from the retaining volume. A piston rod is brought in effective connection with the piston. A coupling unit is provided in the piston for producing an electromagnetic or magnetic effect. The piston rod is provided with a permanent magnet, which produces an electromagnetic or magnetic effect. The piston and the piston rod are connected with each other by the coupling unit and the permanent magnet.
WO 9800187 A1 discloses a preparation delivery device comprising a) a container for the preparation having or being prepared for the arrangement of an opening, b) a mechanism operable to deliver at least part of the preparation in the container through the opening, c) attachment means for connection of the container to the mechanism and d) a sensor system arranged to detect at least one predetermined property of the container or its content. The device comprises a radiation transmitter arranged to irradiate the container position or a part thereof, a radiation receiver arranged to receive at least an area part of the radiation from the transmitter after the radiation has been affected by the container position and the receiver being designed to give an output response representative for the total radiation received from said area part. A method for operating the device comprises the step of transmitting radiation towards the container position or a part thereof to allow the radiation to be affected by the container position, receiving at least a part of the affected radiation from at least an area part of the container position in a non-imaging way and comparing the characteristics of the received radiation with a predetermined characteristic representative for the predetermined property to establish whether or not the predetermined property of the container is present.
US 2009137949 A1 discloses a nozzle assembly for a needle-free injection device. The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle body including an injectate chamber and one or more outlet orifices and a plunger configured to move through the injectate chamber toward the one or more outlet orifices. In some embodiments, the plunger includes a first portion and a second portion removably joined by a frangible region. In some embodiments, the plunger includes extensions configured to couple the plunger to a drive assembly of a needle-free injection device.
WO 02083209 A1 discloses a pump system for an infusion system includes a linear drive which minimizes the space occupied by the pump system in a portable housing. A motor and a motor drive shaft are arranged in parallel with, and adjacent to a syringe and lead screw. A gear box connects the drive shaft and lead screw to transfer rotational movements between them. A piston driving member, such as a cone or drive nut converts the rotational movement of the lead screw into linear motion of a syringe piston. Sensors detect when the piston or cone is in a “home” position and in an “end” position, respectively. A clamping member selectively clamps the lead screw against linear motion in at least a dispensing direction. Optionally, a proximity sensor is used to ensure that the cone and the piston are abutting during dispensing.
WO 9803215 A1 discloses means for optical dose measurements in syringes. Measurements of insulin quantities in a syringe are performed optically in an integrated insulin dose recorder/blood glucose meter. The syringe is placed in a holder before and after the administration of the dose. Liquid quantities in the syringe are determined by comparing optical response patterns of the syringe with calibration data stored in the device. Dose histories are downloaded to a patient computer for transfer to a clinician's computer. Standard or customized syringes (e.g., with marked plungers) may be used. Other wave energy carriers such as sound waves may also be used.
EP 1260244 A2 discloses a method of monitoring performance of an osmotic drug delivery system comprises implanting an osmotic drug delivery device having a movable piston in an animal, and determining a position of the implanted movable piston within the osmotic drug delivery device from an exterior of the animal. The position of the movable piston may be determined either by fluoroscopy, by X-ray, or by a magnetic gauge. The osmotic delivery device preferably comprises an implantable reservoir having at least one opening for delivering a beneficial agent contained within an interior of the reservoir to an organ of the animal, and an osmotic engine causing the release of the beneficial agent contained within the reservoir to the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,615 discloses arrangements for inductance-based dose measurement in syringes. Measurements of insulin quantities in a syringe are performed inductively in an integrated insulin dose recorder/blood glucose meter. The syringe is placed in a holder before the administration of the dose, and the liquid quantity in the syringe is recorded. Inductors may be situated within the syringe and/or outside the syringe in various geometries. Standard or customized syringes may be used. Liquid quantities in the syringe are determined by comparing inductive response patterns of the syringe with calibration data stored in the device. Insulin dose and blood glucose histories are downloaded to a patient computer for transfer to a clinician's computer.